There's something in the night
Some thoughts on my changing tastes and approach to photography…
Diners line up at a food truck in East Austin…
Historically, I was a chaser of good light. In terms of when I went out to take photos, it was the traditional approach: sunrise, sunset, and blue hour. Outside of that, I sort of didn’t care. I just wanted great light. I often got it - or “good enough” light - but that was the end of my shooting. When blue hour was over and darkness fell, I was done.
But no more.
Over the last year or so, I have really started to get into taking photos after dark in the city. There is just something about it. I love to wander the streets, looking for pockets of light and color, and just generally lurk about looking for a shot.
And I have discovered that there is just so much to enjoy after dark, photographically speaking. While I used to think that the good light was over once darkness fell, I now think of the interesting scenes you can photograph in the dark. Especially when in a downtown area, there are always little things happening here and there that catch my eye.
You see, I think that I used to only chase that “epic” shot or amazing light, and when those options were exhausted, I just hung it up. I always felt like it was too dark at night and the light was “boring”. I assumed that if the light wasn’t interesting then the photos would not be interesting either. Boy was I wrong.
I also used to carry a bag of lenses and a tripod around when I would photograph a city, which frankly gets a bit tiring after a while. You can call me lazy if you want to, and you may be right. But it gets tiring, lazy or not. Then you have all these options in your bag, and you feel like you should be using them all. So you switch lenses to try something new. Then you switch back. It sometimes felt like I was just carrying all this stuff because I owned it, and I would bring it along “just in case”.
These days, I most often just take a single prime lens and no tripod. I shoot handheld in cities at night, and it is amazingly freeing to do so. While I love my tripod and it certainly has its place, you just can’t do the same things when you are connected to it. Your movement is somewhat limited and you are basically less free. And it causes me to miss some moments that I do not miss when I am shooting handheld.
My favorite lens for this type of work is the Sony 24mm f/1.4 prime lens. It’s just a fantastic piece of glass and one that I am really thankful I was able to get. I have always loved sort of a wide view of things, and thus 24mm is spot on for me. But of course the main draw of the lens is that wide open aperture. Once it is dark, I drop into f/1.4, bump up my ISO and I am off and shooting. I feel like I come alive.
Like everyone who is pursuing creative endeavors, my style and interests have evolved over the years. I always felt disappointed if I returned from a trip or an outing and did not witness any amazing light. I almost felt like it was a waste.
But I am different now, and my shots are different. I feel I am on a journey towards becoming a bit of a street photographer. While I used to just want to shoot “epic” cityscapes (and these were nearly always done in HDR), now I am more interested in capturing the everyday scenes of a place. Boring light? No problem! I am more than content to wander the streets of a city and just capture life happening there.
Sure, I still like the big, beautiful grand things in a city as much as I ever did. But they are no longer the focus (no pun intended) of my photography. They may be some of the anchoring shots on a trip, but I am finding just as much joy (and maybe more) with the little in-between, filler shots that I capture. In some ways, I find these more interesting. I think they are more tangible and accessible for viewers. They are real. And, they often tell a story.
Now, I still love my big colors, so although I am edging towards street photography more and more, I am not traditional in the sense that I am still editing in color, vs monochrome. For many years, I never even considered monochromes, but just as I have changed in terms of subject matter, I have also loosened up in terms of color. I find myself experimenting more and more with various flavors of monochrome images in my editing, and I love it. I will continue to experiment and grow in that direction. But of course there is no giving up on color for me. :-)
These photos were all captured the other night here in Austin. I wandered on East 6th Street for a little while, enjoying the comings and goings of the people and training my prime lens on whatever I found interesting.
Are they epic shots? Not even close. But do I find them interesting? Absolutely. And that is my approach these days - find something interesting and capture it.
Thanks for listening.
The Barber
Inside an old barber shop, taking photos of a guy combing his hair. Nope, not something I normally do, but boy do I like this photo.
This is not my normal fare, but I really like this shot. I was out shooting with a client along South Congress Avenue one evening, and we wandered by the barber shop there. We popped in and asked if we could take a photo or two inside (it has a great vintage look to it), and they said sure come in and take whatever you like. After a few shots, this guy was combing his hair and we knew that was the best shot. I think we both said “hold that pose” at the same time, and captured this one. Thanks for looking!
Street Photography with a 35mm Lens
Here’s a recent vlog from Austin where I wander around with a new 35mm prime and talk about how much I love street photography, and why. Follow along!
I love to hit the streets with just a prime lens and some free time. I always come across something of interest. In this vlog I wander in downtown Austin for a bit and end up with some photos I really like. Oh yeah, and I do it all with a new Samyang 35mm lens that I recently acquired. Thanks!
Up and out early
An early morning shot of the Austin skyline, one of my favorite views in this town…
I shot this photo yesterday morning here in Austin. I was out to scout some locations for an upcoming customer who I am touring around, and I just wanted to make sure everything here was as I expect/remember it to be. It’s all good. So of course while I was there I had to take a few shots. I mean, come on, you would too right? :-)
Sunset at Pennybacker Bridge
A lovely sunset at my favorite sunset spot in Austin…
My favorite sunset spot in Austin, and just a few miles from home. Doesn’t get easier than that! I went up here recently, just to get out and shoot a few. I didn’t bring a bag full of gear. Just one lens on my camera and a tripod. No filters, no video equipment, nothing else. It was incredibly peaceful and relaxing to just stand there, take in the view and shoot. Luckily the sunset sky was cooperative, too!
Sunsets close to home
A lovely sunset that happened while I was out shooting at a local park…
I went over to my favorite local hiking trail the other day to shoot and film a little bit, and upon departing just had to stop for one last shot of the sunset. I was there to shoot that little waterfall, but sometimes when you back up and look at the bigger scene you realize that’s a good shot too!
Street Photography with a 50mm Prime Lens
My latest vlog wherein I go into downtown Austin and have a good time shooting with my 50mm prime lens…
Here’s my most recent vlog, wherein I head into downtown Austin and wander around taking photos with my 50mm prime lens. It’s not a lens I really use much - or a focal length that I would normally use - but that’s part of the fun of it. Just getting out with a single lens really forces you to get creative and find shots that work. Follow along as I vlog my way around town. Thanks!
Luminar Workflow: Creating Mystical Waterfalls
I love to go for the dreamy look when editing waterfalls. Here’s how I do that in Luminar.
I do love to photograph and edit waterfalls - they are just amazing. Even when they are small. :-)
If you watched my recent vlog, you know I was out shooting some small waterfalls here at home in Austin. During the video I shared a dozen or so images from that outing. A number of folks asked me to share how I edited the photos, so here’s a video showing how I craft a mystical, magical, sort of fairy tale look to a waterfall photo using Luminar. Enjoy!
Out Chasing Waterfalls: a Vlog from Austin
Here’s a recent vlog from Austin, wherein I chase some waterfalls while also sharing tips about how I like to capture them in the field. Enjoy!
Hey friends, I am doing a bit more vlogging here and there, between all my tutorial videos and have to admit it’s a lot of fun. So here is my most recent vlog, wherein I head out to a local park here in Austin and capture some small waterfalls. With all our recent rains, the creeks are flowing and I am working on my kong exposure skills. Check it out and let me know your thoughts!
Lensbaby Burnside 35: Real World Review and Vlog
Lensbaby Burnside 35 review, done vlog style in downtown Austin…follow my adventures!
My latest vlog, in which I am out shooting with the Lensbaby Burnside 35 around downtown Austin. Despite the weather making things difficult for me, I still end up with some great shots and share my thoughts on this lens. Follow along!
Halcyon nights
An urban scene shot in downtown Austin, using the combination of blue hour and my Lensbaby with the star filter to add a little extra drama and interest to the scene…
Whenever I shoot in downtown Austin, I find myself nearby Halcyon Coffee House, simply because I like the look of it. I'm a fan of cityscapes and at blue hour they are especially beautiful. In this case, I was shooting with my Lensbaby Trio28 with the added fun of the star filter. This filter basically takes any little pinprick of light and turns it into a star. So when I saw this scene, I was pretty much scrambling to get the shot before that little buggy with the red lights moved!
The best place to shoot sunset in Austin
Looking out over the 360 Bridge at sunset - my favorite sunset spot in Austin!
I just love shooting sunset at the Loop 360 Bridge - it's a great view! I head over here a LOT to shoot the sunset, and always walk away happy about it. The view is fabulous, being elevated and all that, plus you have the gorgeous Pennybacker Bridge and even passing traffic to shoot. Yes, traffic can be a good thing, at least if you are shooting long exposures. :-)
That beautiful Austin skyline
The skyline of Austin just sparkles at night, and especially during blue hour. Here are two pics from a recent excursion downtown along with a vlog of it all going down!
I still love to shoot the skyline of Austin, after all these years. I have been shooting it forever but still enjoy a night down by the river firing away at it. The river allows all those great city lights to reflect in the water and it really just sparkles! Here are a couple of shots from a recent night down there. I also did a vlog from that spot which is at the bottom. Thanks and enjoy!
Sunset at the Loop 360 Bridge
A lovely sunset at my favorite sunset spot in Austin…
My favorite sunset spot in Austin!
I love shooting sunset here, I really dig the view and sometimes you get some amazing light, too. I was there recently and it was one of those great nights. The light was gorgeous and my photos came out really nice. I have quite a few I will be sharing but this first one is a 3 exposure HDR taken right after sunset. Enjoy!
Vlogging and photographing the Austin skyline
A new vlog from an outing I had in Austin last weekend, shooting and filming while I shoot. Fun!
So I decided to do some videos in the field, showing where I am and what I am shooting, and then make a video which includes me editing the shots. It's a fun addition to my growing amount of video on my YouTube channel and I plan to do more of these.
In this one I show a few different spots in Austin along with some editing of shots I captured there. It was a lot of fun and you will see more of these in the future. Thanks and I hope you enjoy viewing it as much as I enjoyed making it!